According to several US officials, the US intelligence agency has focused on Greenland over the past few weeks, with interest in Vice President JD Vance's trip to US military bases.
Reports of information about Greenland are on the rise, and are included in information circulating in the administrative department and the Parliament, officials said.
The growing focus of analysis by many intelligence agencies is coming as Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to win the island and says it is essential to national security. Greenland is strategically located in the Arctic Circle, with huge rare earth mineral stores.
Danish officials responded negatively to news reports of a step-up intelligence collection in Greenland, the country's autonomous territory. The Danish US ambassador was summoned to the meeting. At least one lawmaker even proposed closing the consulate, the foreign minister condemned efforts to spy on NATO's ally, Denmark.
Some of the recent Intelligence Reports focus on Russian or Chinese interest in the island, current and former officials said. They added that the White House continues to be concerned about the security of the Arctic and the invasion of China and Russia regarding American interests.
Much of the recent intelligence work appeared to be based on open source intelligence rather than categorized material, some officials said.
Officials interviewed for this article spoke about the terms of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of intelligence reporting priorities and the frequent threat of Trump administration's leak investigation.
There was no major change in the intelligence collection. Authorities hope that the agency will concentrate more on Greenland in the coming months, but do not expect major reallocation of intelligence agents or reconnaissance satellites to the island.
Greenland's population is around 57,000, and redirecting collectable assets from top priorities such as China and the southern US border would be a waste.
Still, they said they hope for more work to be done in Greenland and its population.
Last week, the Director of National Intelligence sent a “collection highlighting message” to various intelligence agencies, reminding the director of Trump's interest in Greenland. A memo previously reported by the Wall Street Journal sought information on the Greenland independence movement and public attitudes regarding the extraction of American resources.
The former official said gathering of these priorities would likely involve further investigations of open source intelligence rather than placing officers on the island to infiltrate political organisations.
There is support for Greenland's independence, but officials there emphasize that they are part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and many are wary of the Trump administration's aggressive stance. Denmark controls Greenland's foreign policy and defense, but the island has important autonomy. However, it is highly dependent on Denmark, providing subsidies that make up about 20% of Greenland's gross domestic product.
After the journal published the article, authorities said a leakage investigation was ongoing. National Intelligence Director Tarshi Gabbard said in a statement that the “deep national actor” has released the information and is undermining America's security.
Since returning to presidency, Trump has been consistent about his desire to win Greenland. “We need Greenland for national and international security, and we are working with everyone who wants to give it a try,” he said in a speech to Parliament in March. “In any case, we're trying to get it.”
